Assignment In Boston
by Sandra2
Summary: Visit Boston with Lee and Amanda. They look up old friendsand prevent a threat to national security during the Fourth of July week.


One if by land…Two if by sea

**Title: **Assignment In Boston

Rating:G

**Time Frame:**Summer 1985, between the second and third season**.**

**Date Written:**May-July 4th 2001

**Disclaimer:**The characters of Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers & Shoot The Moon Productions.This story however belongs to the author and is for entertainment purposes only.No infringement of rights is intended.

**Summary:**Visit Boston with Lee and Amanda.They look up old friends and prevent a threat to national securityduring the Fourth of July week.

**Feedback:**Yes, please.[Sandra_mirage@hotmail.com][1]

**Author's Note:**With sincere thanks to a special friend,for her encouragement to write my second fan fiction.

As well as the insight she provided by being my beta reader.

**Assignment In Boston**

** **

The agents sat in the conference room looking at photos of some of the most prominent cryptologist in the nation.These men were responsible for scrambling, coding and decoding all our communications systems from the phones in the Oval Office to military maneuvers out in the field.

The Section Chief Billy Melrose reviewed the facts with Lee Stetson and Amanda King." One by one, they have gone missing for days at a time, only to return with no recollection of where they were or who they were with.National security may have been compromised."

Lee returned the photographs of the missing men and commented, " It' s a good thing that these communications projects are so classified that no one person knows all the algorithms that encrypt messages or has knowledge of all the decryption keys."

" The first two missing men worked at the Pentagon. Our intelligence tells us the third man on their team, a civilian, mathematician Dr. Jeffrey Ferguson, could be involved or be the next target.He is currently a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ."

Billy, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, shuffled his feet and continued, " Amanda, this may be more difficult than your previous assignments. The dossier on Ferguson had this photograph in it."He placed the photo before them of Amanda in full evening attire, with Dr. Ferguson in a tux, his arms firmly around her waist." Looks like we're asking you to rekindle an old romance, if you' re willing to see him again."

" I' m ready sir, what do you want me to do?"

" I want you and Lee to head up to Boston, and find out what Dr. Ferguson has been up to, where and who he spends his time with, any suspicious characters that could be connected to groups that would want to compromise national security."

Later that day on the shuttle up to Boston,Lee stretched his long legs in the aisle and wondered aboutthat intriguingphoto and what other surprises his partnerhad kept well hidden.

" Well, Amanda, are you going to tell me about your relationship with Jeffrey Ferguson?" 

" No."

" What do you mean NO?"

" Let's just say, on a need to know basis, you don' t need to know."

Flustered, Lee ran his left hand through his hair and thought back to how Amanda had a knack of attracting the most unlikely admirers, James Delano, David Benson, Alan Squires, Bryce Topping, Byron Jordan, the latter resulting in her being arrested for his murder. 

" At least tell me how you met him."

" Would you believe standing on a train station platform?"

" Amanda, be serious, I really want to know."

" When Jeff worked for the Department Of Defense, he lived in Arlington, at 4245 Maplewood Drive."

" Oh, I see," he paused, not wanting to sound too relieved and looking for the right words before he continued.

" You two were never involved then, you were just neighbors."

With that erroneous comment from her partner, Amanda smiled sweetly content to let Lee believe what he wanted. After all, he really didn't have a need to know.

She fondly remembered the summer of 1982, three years ago, both she and Jeffrey being newly single.She had just recently been divorced and did not want to become involved in another relationship so soon.There were family outings with Jamie and Philip and Jeffrey' s two boys.They had beenfriends for years, and only began to date when it was almost time for him to move on.

The sounds of the plane landing brought both of them back to the present.Logan Airport may only be four miles from downtown Boston, but traffic funneling through the Callahan and Sumner tunnels was always a nightmare.They stood on line for a taxi to head downtown towards Boston Common and the oldest continuously operating hotel in America, the Parker House.

Lee commented, " Not much sense renting a car in Boston. All the streets are one way in the wrong direction.Ever hear the expression ' You can 't get there from here?'This is where it originated."

Amanda chuckled, " For a man who has proven his driving skills in LeMans and Monaco it just strikes me kind of strange that you would not want to rent a car in Boston."

He lowered his voice to be sure no one could hear him before replying," Agency manual, section 15, paragraph 6, A good agent assesses the situation, and sets boundaries before proceeding with a scenario. I' ll leave driving here to the professionals, the taxi drivers that know all the side streets and how to get around these cow paths."

" Cow paths?"

" Sure, none of these Boston streets line up. When this was all pasture, they built the streets and buildings around the already established cow paths."

After checking in to adjacent rooms, they agreed to meet in an hour for dinner and to plan a strategy. They walked through the winding streets to the North End. Amanda asked where they were going, and was surprised when Lee said he didn' t know.

" Trust me, Amanda, you will know it when you see it or when you smell it."

Lee explained how the North End had dozens of Italian restaurants." All we have to do is start walking down the street; whichever place catches your eye, or pleases your nose, that' s where we will stop for dinner."Each one looked inviting.Some had Italian melodies wafting through the air. Some had men speaking Italian gathered around outdoor café tables. Distinctive aromas filled the air and made the choice difficult. They passed ristoranti, trattoria, patisserie, cafés. There were long lines to head upstairs at Felicia's, and across the street Villa Francesca serenaded patrons. Facing Paul Revere' s house was Mama Maria.Some establishments like The European had been serving meals since 1917.Old world charm was found at Lucia' s where they ultimately enjoyed a very fine dinner.

The next day, they put their plan into motion.She took the red line from Park Streetfour stops into Cambridge.' So this is the first subway system in the country' she thought as the train headed outbound.They had researched and investigated leads before Amanda called the professor to let him know she was in town.He had been delighted to hear from his old friend. Her assignment would be to keep him occupied and distracted while Lee swept through the professor' s home and office for clues.

With a youthful bounce in his step and a glint in his eye, Jeffrey greeted Amanda at the " Out of Town" news kiosk. With so many foreign exchange students, lecturers, scientist and professors, this was a well-know spot literally in the center of Harvard Square.Each country seemed well represented here in printas well as in person.They were surrounded by numerous bookstores facing the square and coffee houses where students wearing crimson shirts with " Harvard' printed across them could sit for hours.Only steps from Harvard University, this had been a gathering spot since 1636, before there was a United States of America.

As they chatted about what their families were doing these days, they meandered through the crowds up Brattle Street, till they reached #56, the Blacksmith House Bakery Café.There was a six-month waiting list to attend the cooking classes that were held here in the evenings. 

Amanda looked at the display case " Everything looks so good, so colorful, it makes it hard to narrow it down to just one."

Jeff pointed to the pastry. " Why don' t we split that raspberry Linzor Torte, and that chocolate apricot concoction that you once attempted to make, the Sacher Torte."Amanda nodded in agreement and he continued." We can imagine ourselves in Austria, surrounded by the sound of music. Let' s pick one of the outdoor tables and you can tell me what brings you up to New England." 

" So much has changed in my life since you left Arlington. For the past two years I' ve been working for International Federal Film.I' ve been pretty lucky. You see this past year they sent me to Salzburg. I finally got to see those hills and now,"smiling and looking directly into her companion' s eyes she continued," I get to look up an old friend and see Boston too."

" Whatever it is you' re doing in Boston, I' m just glad you're here.Tell me about the project you' re working on?" 

" I'm in Boston for a documentary celebrating the 100th birthday of the Boston Pops. I' m really looking forward to seeing John Williams conduct the 4th of July concert on the Esplanade. Last year I saw it broadcast live on TV- I never thought I would actually get to see it in person."

They remembered taking the boys to see " ET" back in 1982, and spoke of how John Williams had composed that music, and the music for so many memorable films like " Star Wars,"" Close Encounters of the Third Kind,"" Superman," " Raiders of the Lost Arc,"and probably the most recognizable music of all," Jaws".With 14 academy award nominations and eight Grammy awards on his resume, last year Williams took over the roll of conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Jeffrey told her about the all day event, the Harborfest. All the boats in the Charles River anchored for hours ahead of time to get a good position. The parks along the Charles River provided a place for joggers, skateboarders, bikers, and picnickers. It was Boston's back yard. Outdoor concerts under the stars were scheduled throughout the summer at the Hatch Memorial Shell. With ' Pops goes the fourth' being the most anticipated event of all.

" I remember how much youenjoyed all the stories I told about the years I lived in Boston.Now you get to see those places for yourself."Sipping his coffee, he continued,"You were an American Lit major in college, right?"

"I' m surprised you remembered that."

" Amanda, that' s why I wanted you to meet me in Harvard Square. This is the ' Village Blacksmith' house that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about- that stone commemorates the famous chestnut tree that once was."

" Oh,'Under a spreading chestnut tree, The village smithy stands' of course I remember.Does that mean we're on the same street as Longfellow's house?"

" Not only Longfellow but Julia Childs'house is just around the corner.Did you know that she was a spy?"

Amanda nearly choked on her torte. " Sure Jeff, I knew that. Didn't she steel secrets from the world' s greatest chefs?"

" Julia Child at 73 is still making regular TV appearances for WGBH, the Boston PBS station that produced ' The French Chef'.She attended Smith College, and then worked in NYC for a few years.By 1942 she was ready to see the world, and managed to secure a job with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Washington.During WWII, she was able to get strategic information in and out of some pretty sticky places like China. Who would have guessed that? Julia Child is the last person I would ever suspect of being a government agent."

Amanda thought changing the subject seemed the safest way around this turn of the conversation. " Tell me about your work at MIT, are things working out the way you wanted them to?"

After coffee they went up to 105 Brattle Street. Where the National Parks Service gave guided tours of the home where Longfellow lived and wrote from 1843 till his death in 1882.They walked along the narrow red carpet runners placed on top of the original carpets to protect them. On display were the furnishings, and his treasured possessions.

The music room featured a grand Steinway piano.In the library the four walls were lined with bookcases displaying the complete works of all his favorite authors.Busts were placed above each bookcase to identify which author was contained within.The spreading chestnut tree that once inspired him had been handcrafted into an impressive chair that dominated the room. It had been a gift from the Cambridge schoolchildren.The bookshop offered his books and poems, selling many copies of the "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere."

On the lawn, chairs were being arranged for the " summer in the garden"series of concerts.They enjoyed the featured cellist performing Don Quixote opus 35, and Schoenberg concerto in D major.When they parted, Amanda thanked him for a delightful and informative afternoon, and they made plans to meet again the next evening.

Back at the hotel, Lee and Amandacompared notes of what they had learned that day. Jeff seemed oblivious to any possible dangers; there were no new people in his life of whom to be suspicious.Lee had delivered film to the Boston office to be developed so it could be analyzed.He did not see any reason to tell her about Teri.After all, if she got to spend time with an old friend, he should get the same opportunity.Lee had decided to look up an agent he had ' worked closely'with when she was on a special assignment in D.C.Teri Ryan was originally from Boston. They had not seen each other in two years but he remembered her inviting smile, assorted freckles and long red hair vividly. He called her office number earlier today and she agreed to meet him for dinner tomorrow night.

Lee and Amanda walked through the narrow streets to Fanuiel Hall and the once abandoned Quincy Market that had contained provisioning and meat packing buildings.Since the bicentennial celebration in 1976 this area had blossomed into the focal point of Boston nightlife. Three long buildingsnow contained shops and restaurants, pubs, comedy clubs, and still a meeting hall under the rotunda for dissidents to proclaim their beliefs.Crowds of all ages gathered at this junction.On the second floor of the center building they had window seats in La Crepe.

Amanda tasted her delicately stuffed crepe "This Veal Marengo is delicious, I' m glad we came here. I always enjoy having window seats and watching the people go by."

" This area used to be deserted, now it' s so active."Lee remembered a recent article in the newspaper and continued, " Because of the success of revitalizing the waterfront area here, other places like Baltimore and Miami are devising plans to do the same thing with their harbor front property." 

They enjoyed a quiet French dinner.Afterwards they walked past Frog Lane, Crickets, Salty Dog, Black Goose, music filling the night air from the from the piano bar.They stopped to pick up some freshly baked cookies, they could see being removed from the oven at the Boston Chipyard.

On the way back to the hotel they walked past a clear glass-enclosed florist shop in front of the market, which added a colorful flare of balloons and fragrant flowers.As they approached BOSTIX they checked to see what entertainment was in town.One could choose between ' A Chorus Line' and ' Cats' for proven Broadway successes, or check out Broadway-bound ' A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum' starring Mickey Rooney or ' Little Shop of Horrors'staring Audrey a fast-growing people-loving plant. 

The next morning Lee and Amanda headed over to the Aquarium to meet a contact.Near the front entrance,the harbor seal spoke to them in a deep growling voice " Hello There."Amanda looked around. " Did you here that? Who said that?"It was common knowledge among the natives that Hoover had been taking visitors by surprise saying'Hello There' for the past 14 years.

" This is a pretty big place, where are we supposed to meet?"

" The note didn' t say. We will just have to pretend to be tourist, until we are contacted."

They spent the next hour going up through floors of exhibits and heading towards the ramp that surrounded the four-story center tank.Circling down they watched the divers feed the vast array of fish as the tortoises and sharks swam by.They descended to the Penguin habitat, which became quite noisy as they yelped at one another.It was time to catch the show on board the permanently anchored ' Discovery' ship.They exited the main building.The docks to the right were for harbor cruises and whale-watching tours, and signs pointed to the Discovery ship being docked to the left.

The center of the ship had been converted into a huge tank; stadium-style seating had been created facing the center from both ends.Amanda tugged on Lee' s arm as he proceeded to head for the front rows." Lets go back up to the sixth row, unless you want to get wet."He gave her a questioning look, and Amanda explained " I' d like to get up close to the dolphins, but some of these benches have water droplets.Looks like the first five rows are the splash zone- that wouldn' t be good for the camera."The trainer appeared and within minutes the Dolphins were literally jumping through hoops. In keeping with her cover, Amanda began snapping photos.

As the dolphins jumped and played ball, Lee had to agree, " Looks like you were right. Those people in the front rows are constantly being splashed."As the show ended the commotion of 400 people standing at once blocked any clear views of one' s actions. The young man sitting on the other side of Amanda told her " You dropped this" as he placed a roll of exposed film in the outside pocket of her camera bag and continued to exit. Lee nodded his acceptance before Amanda could respond.Following his cue she quietly packed up the camera bag and they exited as well.

" Oh my gosh, he was sitting next to me that whole time and I never knew it."

" It' s ok, you were never in any danger. That was a clean drop."

" What do we do next?"

I' ll take this over to the Boston office to be developed, and pick up the prints from yesterday."Knowing Teri would be there he really didn' t want to have Amanda tag along."Why don' t you take a few hours off before you meet the doctor?There must be something you want to see up here that you haven 't seen yet?"

" I was wondering if it was true what I heard about Filenes basement.They get close-outs of famous designers at bargain prices. The price tag has dates on it, and each week the price goes down. Anything not sold at 25% of the original price is given away to charity. Nothing stays more than three weeks.I saw it on a news show once."

" Yes Amanda it s true, sort of a reverse auction, no guarantee you would ever see the same item again.Women have been known to change clothes in the aisles."

"I wonder if outlet shopping will ever catch on around the rest of the country?" 

The boys in the lab told Lee the film would be ready later that day, and that he could pick it up after four o'clock.He picked up the first batch of prints and called Billy to give him a progress report.At four he picked up this morning' s photos from the drop. Teri joined him as he looked over the prints.She recognized some landmarks in the photos as being from Rockport.He recognized the mathematicians that had been missing. It had been a productive afternoon, and an enjoyable dinner, but it did not quite measure up to his expectations.Somehow it just didn' t feel as comfortable as it once had.He made his excuses, and said good night.At the hotel he made arrangements for a car to be available to head fifty miles northeast in the morning.

Amanda was meeting Jeffrey in the lobby of her hotel, the Parker House and dining in its 'Last Hurrah'.They were seated at a corner table far enough away from the band so they could continue to talk and catch up on old times.He explained how this was once the meeting place of the Saturday Club, a literary association that included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendall Holmes, Henry David Theoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Longfellow, and even Charles Dickens when he visited America.

He told her " There' s an old saying in Washington success is measured by one' s influence, in New York by one' s wealth, in Boston by one's knowledge."

" That must be why there are so many colleges and universities here."

" And authors, literary giants have always been well-respected here."

The waiter left a basket of the square Parker House rolls. Jeffrey told her how the rolls originated here at this hotel, as well as Boston crème pie, which is really a yellow cake with crème filling for the center, covered with chocolate.The " big band" music of the 40' splayed on while Amanda and Jeffrey reminisced.

" I' m flattered that you remembered how much I enjoyed the old swing music, and my Harry James& Benny Goodman records."

" Amanda, your impromptu gatherings with the old records playing, and Trivial Pursuit nights were always a lot of fun, some of the better memories that I have of Arlington."

" I learned a lot about Boston on those nights.The nation's first university is Harvard; the oldest public park is Boston Common.I always thought you would return, it was just a question of when."

" Funny you could see how much I wanted to return home, and my own wife could not." Jeffrey wistfully remembered those days. He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before he continued. " All those years living next door to one another, and we never knew how much we really had in common.We pretended to be strong for our families' sakes, but it was a very lonely time." 

Nodding in agreement, Amanda told him, " You never knew how much your divorce affected me. When you had the courage to divorce Susan, I realized I was living in limbo too.There were no guarantees that Joe would ever come home to stay.I realized my life had been on hold. There had to be more out of life than waiting years to figure out how I fit into someone else' s plans."Slowly sipping her wine, collecting her thoughts she continued," I kept wondering is that all there is.When would it be my turn to contribute, to make a difference, I wanted to be more then I was."

" It looks like your new job came around at just the right time."

" Yeah, you could say so, I was really ready for a change."

" How did you wind up working for a film company?"

" I guess I was in the right place a the right time when they needed someone."

" Amanda, you seem to make a habit of being in the right place at the right time.When Susan left me to go ' find herself'I had no idea how I would manage being a single parent for two young boys.Having you there, along with your boys really did make a difference."

" We did have some very special times together didn' t we?"Remembering a night when the four boys were camping out in the backyard.It started to rain heavily.Amanda came over to bring the boys home, but they insisted she promised they could go camping that weekend.So they set up a dry tent in the empty dining room.While Amanda and Jeffrey made themselves comfortable in his family room, eventually she fell asleep.Amanda was surprised how relaxed she felt when she woke up on the sofa to the sound of four boys playing in the next room.' This is the way a family should be.Jeff is such a good father to his boys, and always around when I need an extra hand.'

Even though her divorce had been final for a few months, part of her still loved Joe.This was the morning when she realized she no longer was in love with Joe.' How could I feel so comfortable with another man?'There had been days at a time when she would not even think of Joe.Now she noticed it had been weeks without any reminders of him at all.It felt right to move on with her life, she was ready to begin dating again.

She finally understood Amanda and Joe King were ancient history. It became quite clear that she was attracted to Jeff, even though she knew there would be no future for them either.He would be moving out of state at the end of the summer.At least they would have a chance to attend that charity event at the Kennedy Center.There was a long black dress in the back of her closet she had not worn in years. This would be a formal event next weekend and she was looking forward to it. 

Lee returned to the hotel and watched the couple from a far.At first he thought about going over to introduce himself as Amanda' s producer and probably to join them.Then his keen agent skills took over and he noticed the way they sat, closer than they needed to be, the eye contact never broken between them, Jeffrey' s hands were securely resting upon hers.They looked like a couple involved in an intimate situation and no third party would be welcome.Lee was mesmerized.'What part did he play in Amanda' s past, would he be content to stay in Amanda' s past?'

It sure looked as if his intentions were for the present, a hopeful look of what might be. Lee thought he must have been reading all these signs wrong.She could not be involved with someone else.What do I mean by someone else, we 're not involved, we' re only friends and partners.She can see anyone she wants.After all, he had been out of her life for three years, there was nothing going on, she was just playing her cover. All too well if you ask me.

Lee watched the couple, as Amanda was pulled in close and they began to dance.

'I know how good that feels, the last time we danced like that I wanted the music to play all night. Everything seems so natural, and comfortable when I' m with Amanda.I don' t have to turn on the charm, she would see right through it anyway.She really is something else, smart and compassionate, and lovely to look at.'His own thoughts surprised him.'I can't be thinking of Amanda like a woman! I have to think of her as a partner.'But it was only thoughts of her femininity and grace that occupied his mind.He remembered how she fit perfectly into his arms and how the loose wisps of her hair had tickled his nose.How she glided across the dance floor effortlessly and how stunning she looked in that black dress she wore to the last embassy event they attended together.

Lee felt an urgent need to get away, as far away as he could. He left the hotel and started walking towards Quincy Market.Sounds of life, laughter, music, and couples talking surrounded him.He watched as a mime entertained the crowd. Everyone seemed to be in pairs. Lee felt out of time and out of place

Somewhere along the line things had changed. The women he had found so alluring no longer held the same appeal. Lee thought about his recent dates with Cindi, Margo and Jillian they didn't seem so important anymore.They just wanted to have some of that Stetson charm to make them feel beautiful and wanted.It was all a game he was getting tired of playing. He realized now that calling Teri had been a big mistake. ' What was I thinking?'Sure she remembered the good times they shared, but she wasn' t pretending there was anything more to their relationship than what it was, and it was in the past not the present. 

When Lee returned to the hotel he was pleased to see Amanda was no longer dancing. 'Good, I' ll get a chance to tell her about tomorrow' s drive up to Cape Ann, and check up on how this evening went.'When he reached her room he heard laughter, first hers, then Jeffrey' s!She was not alone !!!

The next morning Lee called Amanda to let her know the car would be delivered at 9, they would be checking out some leads on the north shore.About a half hour later as they drove past exits for Marblehead and Salem, he finally brought up the subject that had bothered him all night.

" Gee, you know it' s funny in all the conversations we' ve had, you never once mentioned Jeffrey."

" Lee, Do you have any idea how many things I have never mentioned to you?"

" Several thousand?"

" No."

" Close though."

" Yeah."

" I just thought that maybe you know, in one conversation or another you would have mentioned him, I mean, you used to mention Dan." 

" You mean Dean?"

" Yeah, well, I just didn' t picture that you had a hidden past to conceal.You two looked pretty close last night."

" You saw us?"

His temper starting to get the better of him.Clenching his jaw, Lee continued, " You could say that, I saw the two of you dancing when I stopped at the bar."

"That' s not what's on your mind, you' ve seen me dance at plenty of events, there' s something you' re not telling me."

" Amanda,if you want to entertain men in your hotel room, that' s up to you, it' s really none of my business."

" You're right, it's really none of your business."

" Look, I'm sorry for the way that sounded, let me try again."Amanda looked at him sternly, unwilling to give an inch or make this any easier for him." Your assignment was to keep the doctor occupied, how you choose to do that is really up to you.I just wouldn' t want things to get out of control."

" Just what do you think happened last night in my room?"

Lee tried to hide his thoughts and was at a loss for words. Amanda realized what he must have been thinking about her. Annoyed with him, she would have walked away had they not been in the car.

" You think I would have an affair with a man that had been out of my life for the past three years!"

" Well why not?He's tall and handsome, you' re an attractive woman with those big brown eyes I bet you could melt any guy that you wanted to."

Flustered and complimented at the same time, that Stetson charm was beginning to wear her down. ' He thinks I'm attractive, and even noticed my eyes, it was so hard to stay mad at him.' 

" I saw the way he looked at you.He couldn't get enough of you."

" Did you see the way I looked at him?"

" Well, not really."

" Maybe you should have before jumping to all the wrong conclusions."Deciding she really had nothing to hide, Amanda continued," If you must know, I was showing Jeff the latest pictures of the boys, the photo album was too big to fit in my purse."

Relieved Lee commented, " Oh, I see now, there really was nothing going on between you two."

" You sure sound like a jealous person to me."

" How could I be a jealous person, there is nothing going on between us, we' re just friends and partners, right?

Amanda thought' One of these days he is going to have to face the truth, but not today'.

In Gloucester they passed the Fisherman's Memorial for those sailors lost to the sea. The hour drive ended when they reached the northeasternmost point in Massachusetts, the fishing village of Rockport. This quaint seacoast town of 5,000 people swelled on weekends and was a thriving artist colony. The peninsula known as Bearskin Neck was filled with galleries and offered a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean dotted with fishing boats and a weather-beaten red lobster shack that had been painted by thousands of artist earning the name ' Motif #1.'

Amanda looked puzzled, " I' ve seen this before, but that can't be, I have never been here before." 

" A few years ago they filmed part of Robin Cook's bestseller "Coma" here, you know the one about the Boston doctors that stumble into a scheme to harvest human organs, when too many people were dying from minor surgery?"

"Oh, Michael Douglas was in that movie, you're right, and I remember seeing it again in Disneyworld, at the Eastern Airlines pavilion"The Wings of Man" they showed highlights from all over the United States and this was one of them."

All around them were galleries and paintings of beaches, lighthouses, fisherman and lobster traps, and the rocky coastline. Behind them was a quaint little seaside village with cottages and window boxes that were filled with flowers. Time seemed to have stood still here.Amanda looked around and said," If I didn' t see this town with my own two eyes, I probably wouldn' t believe that such a place could still exist in 1985."

Not only were paintings on display other craftsman were practicing and selling their trade in the various shops. There was a woodworker carving the same scenes that had been depicted on canvas.They passed a silversmith, a glassblower, two leather shops and several jewelers. 

In one shop Amanda was admiring a painting of Motif # 1 and struck up a conversation with the shop owner. He told her " Technically it is really Motif # 2.When we had the big one, the blizzard of 78, we had tides that were 18 feet above normal, combined with hurricane force winds of 93 miles per hour. Five feet of snow was left behind. Boats were flipped over; parked cars were washed away into the Atlantic.The ocean overflowed into all these shops, basements full of stock and supplies were flooded. When it was all over there was no sign of Motif #1-it had been destroyed and washed away."

" Oh my gosh!"

" About a year before that happened, one fella went over and documented the measurements, and the exact barn red paint, so that it could be refurbished when the time came, you' re looking at Motif #2."

Outside with a gentle ocean breeze blowing in her hair, Amanda asked " This is a very quaint little town that I would gladly spend all day exploring, but Lee, it would help if you told me what we are looking for."

" These photos show the missing men had been held here in Rockport.The information retrieved from them had been incorporated onto these blank canvases, which an artist would later camouflage.That way it could be safely moved out of the country without anyone knowing top secret codes were being transported."

Amanda picked up where Lee had left off. " So if we find the canvas, or recognize the artist from the finished paintings, we have found our traitor."

" Exactly."

He placed his hand on the small of her back as he led her from shop to shop looking for likely suspects.After all they were pretending to be a couple on vacation, and this was a much more natural position.After a half dozen shops once again Lee removed the photos from his jacket pocket and matched up the pictures in his hand to the paintings in the gallery windows." I could use your black belt in confusion right about now. I' m going in through the bulkhead and check out the storage area, you go in the front door and keep the guy' s attention in the showroom, ready?"This next part came naturally to Amanda, she kept the owner busy for 15 minutes when Lee walked in with the evidence that would prove his involvement in the theft of secret communication codes and deciphers.

Lee had called the state police for backup, to hold the suspect till arrangements could be finalized to take him to D.C.; nothing was available for tomorrow since it was Independence Day.Arrangements would be made to return on the 5th.The suspected paintings were also confiscated from the basement as evidence.Lee was pleased with the way it had all turned out. " Looks like this operation has been stopped before they had a chance to ship out the canvases.That's good for us-our job up here is finished." 

Lee asked," Would you like to celebrate with some fried clams, clam chowder, lobster or all of the above?"

" Lobster sounds good to me."

At Ellen's Harborside they ordered lobster.The waiter presented plastic bibs along with the necessary nutcrackers to break the shells.Lee told her" Lobster always taste best in New England.I never order it anywhere else, I know it won' t be the same."

They went to work on breaking apart the shells to reach the treasure inside,dipping the tender morsels into the drawn butter.Nothing either had ever tasted before could compare to the way the lobster seemed to melt in one' s mouth.

An older couple was seated at the next table.They looked as if they had been married fifty years.Amanda smiled as she watched the husband hold the chair for his wife.He sat down to the left of her so that they took up a corner of the table and reached for her hand.When the waiter appeared, they told him they did not need menus and to bring on two boiled lobsters with all the trimmings.When the waiter returned with the bibs, the husband gingerly stood up and placed the bib on his wife and securely tied it at the back of her neck before doing the same for himself.Amanda thought how enduring love could be, some fifty years later to still be so attentive and caring.That' s the way it is suppose to be. You fall in love, get married, have children, share a family together, grow old together, and take care of each other.

Lee tried to observe the expressions, the tenderness the couple shared and thought how lucky they were to have someone special to share their life with.He wondered if anyone would ever care for him that way.At that moment Amanda reached out and gave his hand a gentle squeeze."Isn' t that the sweetest thing, they act more like a young couple in love than anybody in this restaurant."

He did not want to break the connection, as he felt the softness of her caress, he wanted more than ever to take her in his arms, but that would have to wait.

The next morning was the 4th of July.At 10 a.m. they attended a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Old Statehouse.At 11 a.m. they watched the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat, sail into Boston Harbor. At 12:00 there was Twenty-one gun salute off Castle Island.

With his arm protectively around Amanda they strolled over to the Esplanade.The waterfront along the Charles River came alive with 300,000 people anticipating the evening' s events, celebrating the 100th birthday of the Boston Pops.It was sunny and clear in the 80's, excitement filled the air as the crowd passed the time with picnics, board games, Simon says, cribbage, all sorts of amusement until the sun would start to set and John Williams would grace the stage conducting the Boston Pops for the second time.Preparation for tonight' s show began 364 days ago.Traffic had been suspended from Storrow drive, no more boats were allowed along the Charles it was filled to capacity as if it were rush hour on the expressway. A safety zone was kept cleared around the barges that would provide tonight's fireworks.

They spoke of what it really means to be American, the freedoms most people take for granted.The freedoms our nation has fought wars for, and government agents have risked their lives for.There is so much to be proud of, and so much to be grateful for.The announcer began "We celebrate two birthdays tonight America is 209 years old, andThe Boston Pops celebrates 100 years. Let' s wish them a happy birthday."

As the sun was beginning to set, John Williams took the stage and began the evening' s performance with his ' Olympic Fanfare ' that he wrote for the LA Olympics the previous year.This was followed by some works of Leonard Bernstein.The next half hour provided a medley of music from Walt Disney.The first hour of the show ended with the theme from "Superman" and its love song ' If You Could Read My Mind.'Amanda wondered sometimes if Lee would ever be able to read her mind.

During the intermission Amanda looked over the festive crowd and commented" All these people celebrating America's birthday and all the freedoms that we were granted over 200 years ago..."

Lee continued her thoughts, " That we protect each and every day.This is why we do what we do.So that people can choose how they want to live there lives each day without restrictions, the freedom to choose."

" The freedom to gather on Boston' s Esplanade on the Fourth of July, peacefully waving flags and enjoying the music, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, to openly assemble and join clubs….I'm really grateful for that one."

Looking a bit confused, Lee questioned her, "Freedom to assemble I' m all for, but what makes joining clubs so important to you?"

" The way I see it, if we didn 't have so may clubs and organizations, there would be no need to distinguish between them with insignia pinsor little red hats."

A dimpled grin replaced Lee' s questioning look as he realized where this conversation was headed.

" If I didn' t walk onto a trainload full of Shriners, I would have missed the past two years of my life."

Stepping closer and giving her a wink, " Ah Amanda, adventure, danger, intrigue, and me."

" Well I wouldn't have put it in that order."

Teasingly acting surprised he replied, ' Ah, but I do make the list."

Her brown eyes sparkled as his arms found their way around her and she admitted, '" The top of the list."

With what seemed like an invitation to proceed, heleaned forward and gently placed a kiss on her lips.

"Amanda, I'm glad you didn't miss the last two years too."

Intermission ended as darkness deepened over the Esplanade, the first notes of the Star Spangled Banner began and 300,000 people stood up and started singing our national anthem.Programs had been distributed which included the words for ' This Land Is Your Land'' America, the Beautiful'' Yankee Doodle Dandy' and' You're A Grand Old Flag.'As that last song played, a gigantic flag the width of the stage was unrolled from the ceiling of the HatchShell. Not a person remained seated in the joyous crowd, many waving miniature flags, as they sang along praising America.

The grand finale was approaching, as the first strands of Tchaikovsky' s'1812 Overture' filled the air and the crowd applauded with anticipation.Real cannons shot into the night air, with bells ringing from a nearby church steeple as the fireworks exploded.

Amanda and Lee ooo'd and ahh'd along with the crowd. Coordinated with the music emanating from the Boston Pops orchestra Golden palm trees erupted above, later Roman Candles, One Circle Shells. These shells had names like " Battle in the Clouds,"" Gold Spider Web,"" Blue Diamond,"" One Hundred Bees,"" Brocade Chrysanthemum with Double Pistils".Triumphantly Red White and Blue Chrysanthemum and Peony shells erupted simultaneously and filled the sky.

Tomorrow would be back to the routine of DC, but tonight the music soared, the sky was ablaze with light and color and the booms and roar of the fireworks. It was a good old-fashioned Fourth of July.One that created memories of an assignment in Boston that Lee and Amanda could look back on proudly.They solved another case, protected America against threats to national security. Their friendship was tested and progressed one more step.Amanda wondered just what was in store for them, knowing whatever it was, they would discover it together.

   [1]: mailto:Sandra_mirage@hotmail.com



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